(Piano intro – a rolling, slightly melancholic melody with a strong, steady bass line, reminiscent of “Tiny Dancer” or “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”)
(Verse 1)
Cracked pavement steamin’ in the August heat
Empty storefronts line this forgotten street
Promises whispered, like dust in the breeze
Rusting machinery, brought to its knees
Used to be factories, humming with pride
Now the windows are broken, nowhere to hide
From the silence that screams where the laughter used to be
A ghost of prosperity, for all the world to see
(Pre-Chorus)
The mayor made speeches, with fire in his eyes
Talked of revitalization, beneath these pale skies
But the contracts were shady, the deals done in the dark
Leaving only an echo, and a flickering, dying spark
(Chorus)
The bills are piled high, the accounts are all drained
The future we dreamed of, washed away in the rain
The pockets are empty, the coffers are bare
Who’s going to pay? Does anybody care?
Who’s going to pay? For the promises made
Who’s going to pay? For this charade we’ve played?
Who’s going to pay?
(Verse 2)
Mary-Lou worked the diner, forty years and a day
Saving every penny, just to get away
Hoped to buy that cottage, down by the ocean shore
But the bank foreclosed, she ain’t dreaming anymore
Old Man Johnson, on his porch swing so slow
Watches the tumbleweeds where the golden wheat used to grow
Said he invested wisely, in a future bright and bold
Now he’s counting his pennies, shivering in the cold
(Pre-Chorus)
The politicians vanished, like shadows in the night
Leaving us to grapple, with this never-ending blight
They filled their own pockets, with silver and with gold
A story as old as time, a story often told
(Chorus)
The bills are piled high, the accounts are all drained
The future we dreamed of, washed away in the rain
The pockets are empty, the coffers are bare
Who’s going to pay? Does anybody care?
Who’s going to pay? For the promises made
Who’s going to pay? For this charade we’ve played?
Who’s going to pay?
(Bridge – A brief, soaring piano solo with a hint of gospel influence)
(Chorus)
The bills are piled high, the accounts are all drained
The future we dreamed of, washed away in the rain
The pockets are empty, the coffers are bare
Who’s going to pay? Does anybody care?
Who’s going to pay? For the promises made
Who’s going to pay? For this charade we’ve played?
Who’s going to pay?
(Outro – The piano melody fades out slowly, leaving a lingering feeling of unanswered questions and a single, sustained bass note)
Who’s going to pay…?
